Economy

Poverty

Poverty refers to a state in which an individual lacks the monetary resources to afford
basic human needs, such as clean water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing,
and/or shelter. The lack of these resources makes it difficult to reach a minimum standard
of living or wellbeing deemed acceptable by society. The Census Bureau uses income thresholds,
which vary by family size and composition, to determine who is in poverty. If a family's total
income is less than the family's threshold, then that family and every individual in it is
considered in poverty. Income thresholds are updated annually by the U.S. Census Bureau.